Rotating turnover assembly

ABSTRACT

In a rotating turnover apparatus of the rack and pinion type, a novel means including a U-shaped yoke block for removably mounting a rodlike member of a turnover means on the pinion shaft, whereby the turnover means will be rotated around the axis of such shaft as such shaft is rotated axially by the pinion.

D United States Patent [1113500358 [72] Inventor Leland F. Blatt [56] References Cited Gm Points Midl- UNITED STATES PATENTS P 3,190,463 6/l965 Cohan 214 1 R [22] Filed Dee. 8,1969

3,314,554 4/1967 Cumberti 2l4/1R [451 meme! 3 388 812 6/1968 c 214/! R 73] Asian Isl Mu IM- ooper n I Hummus 3,485,387 l2/l969 Sackmger et al. l. 2|4/I R Warren, Mkll.

Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant ExaminerWesley S. Ratliff, Jr. [54] ROTATING TURNOVER ASSEMBLY AtlomeyCullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor 2 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl. 74/89.", ABSTRACT: In a rotating turnover apparatus of the rack and 214/1 R pinion type, a novel means including a U-shaped yoke block [51] ht. Cl. ..F16h 27/02, for removably mounting a rodlike member of a turnover 3251' 3/00 means on the pinion shaft, whereby the turnover means will be [50] Field olSearch ht/89.17, rotated around the axis of such shaft as such shaft is rotated axially by the pinion.

5 T 74 l; 1 ix PATENTEU M18248?! 3600.958

SHEU 2 UF 3 l mvsmon LELAND F. BLATT BY gag/2% 1 041 ATTORNEYS ROTATING TURNOVER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the manufacture of automobile parts, where pieces of metal are stamped into various configurations, it is often necessary to stamp a piece of metal, reverse it, then stack it in a pile to await further treatment. The pieces of metal are commonly gripped with power jaws and fed into the stamping machine by means of an actuating unit. Such power jaws are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,013,835 and 3,371,953 and actuating units for the power jaws are described in US. Pat. Nos. 3,371,583 and 3,013,835.

This invention relates to an apparatus for holding the actuating unit which has power jaw mounted thereon, and which rotates the actuating unit and power jaw through a 180 angle, whereby the metal sheet or other object held in power jaws is reversed after it has been removed from the stamping machine.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for rotating an actuating unit and power jaw gripping a piece of metal through an 180 angle whereby the metal can be deposited in a reverse position in a stack.

This and other objects of the invention will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the apparatus of the invention, with parts broken away and parts shown in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a view along line 2-2 of FIG. I, with parts shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a side view through line 3-3 of FIG. 2 ofa portion of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the invention and associated devices.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereinafter set forth.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus of this invention is attached to a support means 10. The support means comprises a slotted bracket assembly 12 which has a central bore 14. An internal sleeve 16 extends through the bore 14, and slightly beyond at each side. A socket head cap screw 18 is used to tighten the opposed edges of the bracket assembly 12 together and fix the bracket assembly 12 in position on the sleeve 16 which extends through the central bore 14. A depending arm 20 (FIG. 5) is fixed to the portions of the sleeve 16 which extend beyond the bore 14. The bracket assembly 12 is fixed on its base to a horizontal plate 22. The horizontal plate 22 rests on top of a reversing mount 24 which comprises an upper horizontal plate 26 and a vertical sideplate 28 and which is reinforced by a rib 30 attached to the bottom of the upper horizontal plate 26 and the outer side of the vertical plate 28. The horizontal plate 22 is attached to the reversing mount 24 by means of socket head cap screws 32 which extend through the plate 22 and into the reversing mount 24. Lock washers 34 are interposed between the plate and heads of the cap screws 32.

A body member 36 is attached to the sideplate 28 of the reversing mount 24 by means of socket head cap screws 38 which extend through the sideplate 28 and into the body 36. Lock washers 40 are also used with these socket head cap screws.

The body member 36 comprises a top plate 42 having an opening 43 therein (see FIG. 4) and having opposed parallel vertically situated sideplates 44 depending therefrom. Each of the sideplates 44 has an inwardly offset ear 46 extending forwardly therefrom. Each car 46 has a bore 48 which is axially aligned with the bore 48 in the opposed ear 46. A web plate 50 is mounted between the leading edge of each ear 48 and the leading edges of the sideplates 44. The body member 36 is desirably cast as a unit.

A gib plate 52 having an opening therein is mounted on top of the top plate 42 of the body member 36 and has a U-shaped gib 54 depending therefrom which extends downwardly through the opening 43 in the top plate 42 of the body member 36. A two-way cylinder 56 having a piston rod 58 projecting from the bottom thereof is mounted on top of the gib plate 52. The air cylinder 56 is conventional and has suitable air inlets and exhausts, whereby the position of the piston in the cylinder can be adjusted as desired. An automatic valve 60 is optionally attached to the top of the air cylinder 56 for regulating the air cylinder 56. The air cylinder 56 and automatic valve 60 are conventional and the details thereof are not critical.

The piston rod 58 extends downwardly through the openings in the gib plate 50 and the top plate 42 of the body member 36. A plunger 62 is mounted on the end of the piston rod 58 of the air cylinder and is seated for sliding movement in the gib 54. A rack 64 having a plurality of teeth 66 on the top surface thereof is attached to the top of the plunger 62 by means of a plurality of screws 68 which extend through the plunger 62 and into the rack 64.

A shaft 70 extends through the ears 48 and is journaled in bearings 72 mounted in the bores 48 in each of the ears 46. The shaft 70 is substantially rectangular in cross section and can be hexagonal or four-sided or even triangular, if desired. It must not be circular, however. A circular pinion gear 74 having teeth engaging the teeth 66 of the rack 64 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 70 at the center thereof. The position of the gear 74 on the shaft is maintained by means of spacers 76 on each side of the gear 74 which extend between sides of the gear 74 and the ears 46.

A jaw mount assembly 78 is fixed to the shaft 70. The jaw mount assembly 78 comprises an elongated base block 80 having a bore 82 therein and a slot 84 extending the length of the block from the outside of the block to the bore 82. A plurality of screws 86 extend from one side of the slot through the slot and into the opposite side and are used to diminish the bore 82 dimensions by drawing the two sides together. A bracket 88 extends upwardly and forward of the base block 80 on each end. Each bracket 88 has a rectangular opening 90 near the top thereof which is axially aligned with the opening in the opposite bracket 88 and the shaft 70 extends through the openings 90. A roll pin 92 is inserted through the bracket and through the shaft 70 at each end to secure the shaft 70 in place. The rod 94 of an actuating unit 96 such as is described in Us. Pat. No. 3,0l 3,835 is mounted in the borev Downward movement of the air cylinder actuated rack 64 causes rotational movement of the gear 74, carrying the shaft 70 with it. The extend of movement of the rack 64 is limited to that amount necessary to rotate the shaft a full This has the effect of inverting whatever object is being carried by the power jaws attached to the actuating unit 96 carried in the jaw mount assembly 78.

What I claim is:

1. A rotating turnover apparatus comprising support means, a body member mounted on said support means having a top plate with an opening in the middle thereof, a pair of opposed parallel vertically positioned sideplates depending from said top plate, each sideplate having ear projecting forwardly from the lower end thereof having a bore which is axially aligned with the bore in the opposite ear, a gib plate mounted on said top plate having an opening therein, a gib extending from said gib plate through said opening in said top plate, a two-way air cylinder mounted on top said gib plate having a plunger attached to the piston thereof and seated in said gib for sliding reciprocal movement relative thereto, a rack having teeth on the top thereof fixedly mounted on said plunger, a shaft, substantially rectangular in cross section, extending through the bores in said opposed ears and journaled in bearings mounted in said bores of said ears, a circular gear mounted on said shaft having teeth engaging said teeth on said rack, and a swivel mount assembly fixedly attached to said shaft at each end thereof, whereby reciprocal movement of said rack engaging said gear causes said shaft to rotate carrying said swivel mount assembly with it, the extent of movement of said rack being limited so that said gear moves said shaft a total of 180 from its initial position; said swivel mount assembly comprising an elongated block member having a central bore; a slot extending from said central bore to one side of said block; means for diminishing the width of said slot and thus the diameter of said bore; spaced plates extending from said block at its ends, with said plate having openings conforming to the cross-sectional shape of said shaft, through which openings said shaft extends; and means for locking said shaft in place in said openings whereby the shaft rotates the plates around the shaft axis as the shaft rotates axially.

2. In a rotating turnover apparatus of the type comprising a power actuated reciprocating rack, a pinion gear meshing with said rack to be rotated in opposite directions as the rack is reciprocated in opposite directions, and a noncircular shaft centrally and nonrotatably mounted in said gear to be rotated axially by the gear; the improvement comprising improved means for removably mounting a rod like member of a turnover means on said pinion gear shaft, to be turned over by such gear shaft as it is rotated by the pinion gear, as caused by reciprocation of the rack; said mounting means comprising an elongated block having a central bore and a slot extending from said bore to one side of said block; means for diminishing the width of the slot and thus the diameter of the bore; spaced plates extending from said block at its ends and having openings conforming to the cross-sectional shape of said gear shaft with the latter extending through said openings; and means for locking said shaft in place in said openings whereby the plates and turnover means carried thereby rotate around the shaft axis as the shaft rotates axially as caused by rotation of the gear and reciprocation of the rack. 

1. A rotating turnover apparatus comprising support means, a body member mounted on said support meanS having a top plate with an opening in the middle thereof, a pair of opposed parallel vertically positioned sideplates depending from said top plate, each sideplate having ear projecting forwardly from the lower end thereof having a bore which is axially aligned with the bore in the opposite ear, a gib plate mounted on said top plate having an opening therein, a gib extending from said gib plate through said opening in said top plate, a two-way air cylinder mounted on top said gib plate having a plunger attached to the piston thereof and seated in said gib for sliding reciprocal movement relative thereto, a rack having teeth on the top thereof fixedly mounted on said plunger, a shaft, substantially rectangular in cross section, extending through the bores in said opposed ears and journaled in bearings mounted in said bores of said ears, a circular gear mounted on said shaft having teeth engaging said teeth on said rack, and a swivel mount assembly fixedly attached to said shaft at each end thereof, whereby reciprocal movement of said rack engaging said gear causes said shaft to rotate carrying said swivel mount assembly with it, the extent of movement of said rack being limited so that said gear moves said shaft a total of 180* from its initial position; said swivel mount assembly comprising an elongated block member having a central bore; a slot extending from said central bore to one side of said block; means for diminishing the width of said slot and thus the diameter of said bore; spaced plates extending from said block at its ends, with said plate having openings conforming to the cross-sectional shape of said shaft, through which openings said shaft extends; and means for locking said shaft in place in said openings whereby the shaft rotates the plates around the shaft axis as the shaft rotates axially.
 2. In a rotating turnover apparatus of the type comprising a power actuated reciprocating rack, a pinion gear meshing with said rack to be rotated in opposite directions as the rack is reciprocated in opposite directions, and a noncircular shaft centrally and nonrotatably mounted in said gear to be rotated axially by the gear; the improvement comprising improved means for removably mounting a rod like member of a turnover means on said pinion gear shaft, to be turned over by such gear shaft as it is rotated by the pinion gear, as caused by reciprocation of the rack; said mounting means comprising an elongated block having a central bore and a slot extending from said bore to one side of said block; means for diminishing the width of the slot and thus the diameter of the bore; spaced plates extending from said block at its ends and having openings conforming to the cross-sectional shape of said gear shaft with the latter extending through said openings; and means for locking said shaft in place in said openings whereby the plates and turnover means carried thereby rotate around the shaft axis as the shaft rotates axially as caused by rotation of the gear and reciprocation of the rack. 